Climate activist Greta Thunberg blamed Israel f the drone attack on a vessel transporting humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip that occurred in international waters off Malta early on Friday.
In a video posted to Instagram, Thunberg stated that she had planned to board the ship in a mission with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) to “end the siege and open a humanitarian blockade” in Gaza.
“This is yet another crystal clear example of how international law and human rights are being completely disrespected,” Thunberg claimed in the video while wearing a keffiyeh scarf, commonly associated with pro-Palestinian groups.
Thunberg told Reuters that the attack had “caused an explosion and major damage to the vessel, which made it impossible to continue the mission.”
“I was part of the group who was supposed to board that boat today to continue the voyage towards Gaza, which is one of many attempts to open up a humanitarian corridor and to do our part to keep trying to break Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza,” she said.
FCC claims thirty people were onboard the ship
In a social media post on Friday, the FFC claimed that some 30 people were on board the ship at the time of the strike, which occurred shortly after 12 a.m., The Jerusalem Post previously reported.
However, the government of Malta issued a statement later saying 12 crew members and four civilians were on board the vessel, with no casualties reported.
“The ship remains outside territorial waters and is being monitored by the competent authorities,” the statement read.
Unconfirmed Arab media reports attributed the strike to Israel, which did not comment on the reports, the Post reported.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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